SS Ch8 Lesson 2

The Minoans
The first civilization in Greece was on the island of Crete and was named after the king, Minos.
Crete
Long island
Mountains and plains
Climate was mild, not too hot or cold
Minoans lived in small farming and fishing villages

The Minoans began to build cities and within it, they built large and richly decorated palaces
The palace was at the heart of Minoan social life and served as the center for government and religion
The largest Minoan palace(3 acres and 3 stories high) was built in the city of Knossos

Minoan LifePaintings on palace walls reveal:
Dancing
Music
Sports
Gold
Long flowing hair on both men and woman

Minoans traded olive oil, wine, wool, and pottery for copper, tin, and gold.
Minoans have a developed writing to record trade

A few possible reasons for the destruction of Minoan culture:Fire
Volcanic eruption
Earthquake
Possibility of being over-run by the Mycenaeans

The MycenaeansMycenae, warlike people, were mostly peasants or poor farmers
They are considered the first Greeks because of their language(an early form of Greek)
Mycenae was on Peloponnesus

The Mycenaeans took ideas from other cultures, a process called cultural borrowing

In about 1450 B.C., the Mycenaens invaded Crete and continued to spread their culture
In 1100 B.C., their control weakened. Two possible reasons:
Dorians from the north
Fighting within their own culture

The Mycenaean civilization developed
on the Peloponnesus. The Myceaneans
adopted many customs from the
Minoans and made their own.
The warlike Mycenaeans controlled
Crete and much of the Peloponnesus
until about 1100 B.C.

Legends and Myths
Greeks developed a great tradition of storytellers called bards.
They told stories and songs about Greek gods, goddesses, and heroes
They were entertaining but also taught ideals, values, and beliefs
Legends are an important part of their tradition and could possibly be based on actual events

Homer, a bard, composed two epics
Iliad -Describes attacks on Troy
Odyssey -Describes the hero Odysseus and his ten-year journey home


The Greek Dark Age
By 1100 B.C., ancient Greece had entered the Dark Age:
Greeks abandoned their palaces and cities
Trade stopped
Lived a simpler life as farmers and herders
What was lost?
Minoans and Myceneans achievements
Writing, decorative pottery, luxury goods, and bronze metal work
At the end of the Dark Age, a stronger metal emerged: Iron.
The Greek Dark Age

During the Greek Dark Age,
Greek culture declined.